In This Episode

Step aside, Millennials. There’s a new, younger group out there: Generation Z, which includes anyone born after 1996. To learn more about this generation, we sat down with Kim Parker, director of social trends research at the Pew Research Center.

After the Fact

“After the Fact” is a podcast from The Pew Charitable Trusts that brings you data and analysis on the issues that matter to you—from our environment and the sciences, to larger economic trends and public health.

Research

Research in my lab focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms responsible for regulation of lipase activity. We aim to uncover how a transmembrane maturation factor assists in proper folding and ER exit of a group of dimeric mammalian lipases. We also study secreted proteins that regulate lipase activity in response to changes in nutritional state. Our research has biomedical relevance because biochemical deficiencies in lipase activity can cause hypertriglyceridemia, which is associated with increased risk for atherosclerosis. Our approach is interdisciplinary and uses membrane protein biochemistry, enzymology, and structural biology to understand lipase structure-function relationships.